In a relatively complex and ongoing project, it is very useful to be able to predict future demand for materials, parts, and equipment and the like (hereinafter ‘materials’) that will be employed in connection with the project. Accordingly, such materials can be ordered from appropriate suppliers and received in a timely manner. Thus, the materials are available to the project when needed, and the project is not hindered due to material shortages. Likewise, such materials as received from the suppliers need not be stored or warehoused for a relatively long time, and capital required to purchase such materials is not unnecessarily expended any sooner than necessary.
One example of such an ongoing project is the ongoing replacement in a telephone network of twisted-pair copper wire customer loops with fiber-optic cable customer loops. That is, in a typical telephone network, the lines running between central offices and associated telephone service subscribers have typically been twisted-pair copper wire lines. However, to accommodate the demand for higher capacity and better service, among other things, such copper wire lines are now being replaced with fiber-optic lines. Moreover, as new housing and office developments are constructed, fiber-optic lines are installed from central offices to such developments to accommodate expected service needs.
As should be appreciated, whether changing existing service from copper wire to fiber-optic or installing new fiber-optic service, materials needs are substantial. More conspicuously, fiber-optic cabling is needed, as is the infrastructure necessary to route the fiber-optic cabling from the central offices to the subscribers. Such infrastructure may comprise telephone poles and/or underground conduits, mounting devices for mounting and securing the fiber-optic cabling along the chosen paths between the central offices and the subscribers, and the like, among other things. Less conspicuously, service equipment is needed at the central offices to provide services to subscribers, including interconnecting equipment for interconnecting the fiber-optic cabling to the telephone network and subscriber service equipment for providing services to the subscribers over the fiber optic cabling. Additionally, service equipment is needed at intermediate points between the central offices and the subscribers, including breakout equipment for breaking out lines from a main fiber-optic cable serving multiple subscribers to individual fiber-optic cables serving individual subscribers.
Moreover, the service equipment must be housed within appropriate structures, and such structures must be either constructed in situ or purchased and installed in situ. As may be appreciated, such structures may in fact comprise a new central office or an addition to a central office, breakout boxes mounted to structures such as telephone poles for housing relatively small amounts of breakout equipment, and/or above- and/or below-ground breakout vaults for housing relatively large amounts of breakout equipment.
As should be understood, then, in a typical local, regional, or national telephone system ongoing project, and in other typical ongoing projects, many other material needs exist. Thus, it can become a mammoth undertaking to plan for materials for such ongoing projects, as well as for other project needs including labor needs and other support needs. Accordingly, a need exists for a forecasting tool that accurately predicts future demand for parts/materials/equipment in connection with an ongoing project or operation, where such forecasting tool predicts such demand based on factors including historic demand, supplier availability, project requirements, and the like.